Stratford-upon-Avon chain ferry

The Stratford-upon-Avon chain ferry is a manually operated pedestrian chain ferry across the River Avon in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon in the English county of Warwickshire. The ferry is owned by Stratford-upon-Avon District Council. It links Waterside, roughly halfway between the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Holy Trinity Church, with the water meadows on the opposite side of the river. The vessel used on the service is named Malvolio, after the character of the same name in William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night.^[1][2]

Stratford-upon-Avon chain ferry
The ferry crossing the River Avon in Stratford-upon-Avon
Coordinates	52.1909°N 1.7051°W / 52.1909; -1.7051
Carries	Pedestrians
Crosses	River Avon
Locale	Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England
Named for	The boat is named Malvolio, a character in Twelfth Night
Owner	Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Maintained by	Avon Boating Ltd
Heritage status	Last chain ferry built in Britain
Next upstream	Tramway Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Chain ferry
Material	Steel ferryboat and submerged chain
History
Opened	1937
Statistics
Daily traffic	Seasonal (March–October)
Toll	£1 (adults, each-way)
Location

The chain ferry opened in 1937, and it was the last of its kind to be built in Britain. By 2006, the ferry was carrying 100,000 people a year, and it was proposed that it be moved to make way for a new bridge. However, in 2010, the ferry vessel resumed service at its original location after an overhaul and restoration work, undertaken by the local boating firm, Avon Boating Ltd.^[1][2][3]

The chain ferry is currently run by Avon Boating Ltd under licence from the district council, and is in operation daily from mid March to the end of October.

It currently costs £1 for an adult to cross one way.

See also

• List of crossings of the River Avon, Warwickshire